nonetheless

i gave myself away
and the more i gave
the less there was of me

i am only finite
i can only feel so much

i kneeled myself to pray
and the more i prayed
the less there was of me

i am only finite
i can only bleed so much

i resigned myself to another day
and the more i cried
the less there was of me

i am only finite
i am only human

This is My Body

by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2023

aokigahara

deadwood on a silent shore
the crack of daylight on her face
says maybe she won’t want to die
one day

ever unsure
unable to see tomorrow
yonder rot & spore
& chokehold of black trees

the war in her brain
can anything numb the pain
thunderclouds or amnesty
they say the forecast is up to she
dumbly she hangs ‘tween root & limb
awaiting the rain

ever unsure
the marrow’s in the morrow
this is what they say
but hope is a blithe man’s game

deadwood on a silent shore
she doesn’t know how to be
defiled she hangs lightly
for another day

Aokigahara

by TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2023